FRANKFORT, Ky. (4/18/13) – Governor Steve Beshear joined U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and hundreds of organizations nationwide in recognizing the value of environmental education and collaboration. The Governor has officially proclaimed April 14-20 as Environmental Education Week.

“Environmental Education Week is a wonderful time to focus on learning opportunities in K-12 classrooms, on university campuses and at settings such as nature centers, zoos, aquariums and museums,” said Gov. Beshear. “It also draws attention to environmental education taking place in America’s classrooms on Earth Day, April 22, and to the value of year-round learning about environmental stewardship.”

In the Commonwealth, environmental education is coordinated by the Kentucky Environmental Education Council (KEEC), a state agency within the Kentucky Education and Workforce Development Cabinet.

“Whether in the K-12 setting or as a lifelong learner, everybody can benefit from high-quality environmental education,” said Schmitz. “Being an interdisciplinary field, environmental education engages students in the real world, underscoring the importance of healthy living and civic engagement, and shows the connection between the environment and the classroom.”

According to experts in the field, countless careers of the next generation will be related to science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). The STEM subject areas can be major components of Environmental Education Week lessons and activities.

“There are many connections between STEM education and environmental education,” said Schmitz. “Examples include students using instruments to measure pH levels, designing solutions to environmental problems, and calculating tons of paper gathered as a result of a student-led recycling program”

National Environmental Education Week is coordinated by the National Environmental Education Foundation, a congressionally-chartered independent nonprofit that provides objective environmental information. This is the ninth National Environmental Education Week since its inception in 2005. Last year, more than 20 states officially proclaimed an Environmental Education Week.

For more information about National Environmental Education Week, visit www.eeweek.org. To contact the KEEC, visit http://keec.ky.gov or call toll-free (800) 882-5271.